San Diego's Sloan Productions keeps its employee on the job with the help of state-sponsored program

To hear Jeff Landie modestly tell his small business story, Sloan Productions is “just a two-man production company—we run the office, and run the cameras. Occasionally we hire a field crew but we edit, handle all the paperwork ourselves, and do everything we have to do to stay in business,” he says.

Sloan Productions is a full-service professional television and video production house that serves networks, producers, and corporate America.
Landie’s efforts took a painful turn a few years ago when he and a camera crew were filming an event in San Diego.

“I hurt my back on the second day,” says Landie.

But the story doesn’t stop there. That’s because Sloan Productions received the reimbursement it needed to bring Landie back to work following his injury through the Division of Workers’ Compensation’s (DWC) Return to Work Reimbursement Program. The program was enacted in 2004 to help small business in California by providing reimbursement for worksite accommodations to bring an injured employee back to work, or keep them working following an injury.

The DWC’s new “Bring ‘em back…or just keep ‘em working” campaign delivers information small businesses need, in a user-friendly Web site, to apply for reimbursement when they make purchases to help employees stay working while they recover.

As well as the Sloan Productions experience, other examples of purchases the state has provided reimbursement for include:

A platform and extended eyepiece for a biological analyst

Custom knee pads for a tile setter

A computer keyboard tray and document holder for an office administrator

In addition to providing reimbursement for purchases that bring an employee back to work or keep them on the job, the state’s return to work experts are available to provide consultations and presentations for employers or employer organizations on the subject.